Smyrna times., 1887-12-28
WHOLE NO. 1892.
A M0NG0LIAN DAME.
A CHINESE WIFE OF THE BETTER
GLASS IN NEW YORK.

A Visit to Mrs. San ChonR-Hovv Sha
Employs Her Time in secIusion-Her
Dress and Household Surroundings-But
Is Not Happy.
The moment she marries the Monaghan
damsel becomes the property of her hus-
banda little more so than thew do in
America. Her spouse has the privilege, as
all husbands the world over to chide.
scold and chastise her for her faults. and
they assert that, in cases Of grave crime.
he has the right to kill her. In his punish
ment he may put her on what we would
call bread and water diet, keep her locked
up IN bedroom, closet or cellar, or beat
her with his hands OF a bamboo rod. In
this respect the Chinese law is almost a
lac slmlle OF the common law which
prevailed in England and this country
until about 1905, and which allowed the
husband to correct" his wife with
"the open hand or light rod" but not
with ''the clenched fist nor q club
Under this custom the average almond
eyed woman expects to be beaten with a
regularity proportional to her queued
lords affection, and, like the wives
OF English hawkes." regards the omis-
sion of corporal punishment as a sure evil
dence of the loss of his love.
In New York the Chinese family lives
III the same fiat or building as that in
which the pater familias does business.
To to the wife is allotted one, two or three
rooms, according to his wealth. From
these she practically never stirs. Either
her husband or servant does all the
marketing and shopping. Still worse, she
must not receive calls from the other sex
excepting in rare cases when the husband
presents an intimate friend On such an
occasion the visitor bows repeatedly.
shakes his own hand vigorously for a
minute or two, utters the usual stereo-
typed remarks about the health of her
self, family, cousin and friends. and de-
parts without having once looked at her
lace. Where is the American who could
do that?
A WIFE IN HER BoUDoIR.
Lee Chick San Chong, a merchant of
Mott street. captured by my smiles, con-
sented to introduce me to his wife and her
boudoir, which I supposed would be as in
teresting as the woman. His store was
in the basement and his wife lived on the
first floor above. I followed my guide
through dirty, uncarpeted hall to door
at the farthest end. He raped rather
vigorously with his knuckles on the por-
tai, which had no outside knob or latch.
After while it was unlocked on the in
side; he pushed it open, and we stood on
the inside. Almost in the rear of the
room, with some sewing in her hand,
stood the woman had come to see. She
smiled at her husband and looked at me
without fear or surprise, but as a babe
IAOlc al a ohiooA
eyes. Lee Chick San ChOng spoke to her
in his peculiar language, and then, turn
ing to me, said: 'My wife" Another
moment and the little brown fingers COW
cred with rings were clasped in my gloved
hand and we were looking at each other
rs only two women can. What she saw
is left to the imagination, but this is what
l gazed upon with interest:
A little woman, not more than five feet
! high, with the blacklist of eyes, which
! were larger and more open than those Of
the average Chinaman. She had the
! typical Monaghan face, with complex
ion that from the exclusion of sunlight
resembled bleached golden wax. Her
! blue black hair was combed back without
u part, dressed over the ears like half
/ oyster shell, and down the back Of the
head in long oblong puff. Gold rings
kept it all in place, but it had the appear
| ance Of being soaped to make it smooth
and stiff. The forehead was extremely
! high, and the eyebrows had habitually
! surprised curve. The cheeks were round,
( dotted with charming dimples, the nose a
/ little inclined to fiatness, but withal pi-
| quante, the teeth exquisitely white and
beautifully shaped, and the lips either
artificially dyed, or naturally a rich car
mine. With the air and look of childish
innocence, Mrs. San Chong was not bad
to look at.
BEAUTY OF her DRESS.
But her dressl 1t is hard to describe it
so as to give an idea Of its delicate beauty
1t was a light blue silken robe trimmed
with bands of crimson silk. The upper
robe was made with flowing sleeves, which
disclosed a similar white silk robe under
meath. The skirt or petticOat, Of plain
crimson, was made precisely straight, and
touched the floor. Her tiny feet, not
more than five inches in length, were
covered with white silk hosiery, and in
serted in dainty Chinese slippers Of blue
silk, embroidered in gold, with white satin
covered soles. Her arms were loaded
with bracelets of several kinds, and her
ears held rings of enormous size. Her
sewing, still clasped the little brown
finger. 1t was a silver band worn on the
second joint Of the middle finger. Mrs.
San Chong moved around with quiet
grace and ease that would be the envy of
a Fifth avenue belle.
Our conversation was limited, but Lee
Chick was a good English scholar and did
the translating. He is teaching Mrs. San
ChoDg English, but she forgets. She
reads poetry, history and love stories, and
spends all her day alone, her husband
leaving in the morning and not returning
until evening She never visits; cannot
be induced to quit her quarters. All her
food is cooked by a servant in the store,
and her husband carries all the meals to
her room.
SIS your wife satisaedP' asked Lee
Chick. ''No, she is not. She is perfectly
happy in her home life, having no other
desire, but she is childless, the greatest
affection that can befall Chinese wife.
Lee Chick is also very much dissatisfied
at the rate his family refuses to increase.
After trying unsuccessfully to adopt some
American child he has decided to take this
wife back to China and leave her there.
He will then procure himself another.
He has already one wife in China and two
children, but she refuses to come to
America. Lee Chick wants an American
for No. 3, and he made the writer a pro-
posal He was told that men outside Of
Utah were allowed but one wife, and that
if they were found to have one in Brook
Ign and one in Harlem they would get
into serious trouble. "Two wives in one
room in China no trouble, was his reply,
This is inconceivable, but it is true.
With all their addition in wives divorce
and infdelity are very rare.-Nelly BLY, IL
Cleveland Leader.